PROVIDENCE — For a third summer, Providence Children’s Museum is bringing playful hands-on activities to neighborhood parks across the city, building on its efforts to advocate for and raise awareness of the critical importance of children’s play, and its commitment to provide play opportunities throughout the community.

Unstructured, child-directed play is vital for kids’ healthy growth and development. In a 2007 clinical report, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that “…play is essential to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.”

Through spontaneous, freely chosen play, children develop confidence and learn problem solving, self-regulation, conflict resolution and other significant skills. With increased emphasis on academics at school, more time in structured after-school and summer programs, parental concerns about safety, and more time in front of television and computer screens, many kids today lack time and space for free play – especially outdoors.

To combat children’s growing play deficit, Providence Children’s Museum educators will bring playful open-ended activities to Providence neighborhood parks during evening concerts in July and August. Families will build forts and other three-dimensional structures from wooden dowels and fabric, invent their own musical instruments, and construct creative contraptions with Rigamajig, an imaginative new large-scale building kit – designed by Cas Holman, RISD professor of industrial design – that features wooden planks, wheels and pulleys plus rope, nuts and bolts.

The Museum’s goal in bringing play to these public spaces is to make unstructured, high-quality play experiences available to all kids and families. “We firmly believe in the value of open-ended loose parts play,” said Children’s Museum Executive Director Janice O’Donnell. “We are delighted to partner with Providence parks to bring these play opportunities to kids and families throughout the city.”

Children’s Museum activities at the parks are supported by the Providence Neighborhood Performing Arts Initiative, a partnership among Mayor Angel Taveras, the City of Providence, Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, the Department of Public Parks and the Partnership for Providence Parks and are part of its participation in Playful Providence 2014 – a citywide celebration of play commemorating Providence’s third consecutive recognition as a “Playful City.”

Tuesday, July 22 • 5 - 8 PM

Fargnoli Park | Jastram and Smith Streets

Music by Keith Munslow

Thursday, July 24 • 5 - 8 PM

Dexter Training Ground | Dexter and Parade Streets

Music by The American Band

Wednesday, July 30 • 5 - 8 PM

Harriet and Sayles Park | Harriet and Sayles Streets

Music by Extraordinary Rendition Band

Thursday, August 7 • 5 - 8 PM

Bucklin Park | Bucklin and Daboll Streets

Performance by Rhode Island Black Storytellers

Page 2 of 2 - Wednesday, August 13 • 5 - 8 PM

Brown Street Park | Brown and Creighton Streets

Music by Ravi Shavi

All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.ChildrenMuseum.org.